Dubai: Emirati jockey Ahmad Ajtebi believes that Sunday’s Chengdu Dubai International Cup Raceday in China represents a big opportunity for him to enhance his reputation on the global stage.
The jockey is one of the star attractions at the historic meeting, which features five high-quality races and carries prize money totalling Yuan 3.750 million (Dh2.23 million).
“This is my first visit to China and I am so excited to be here,” said the UAE-born Ajtebi. “I wish all the jockeys good luck, and I am ambitious to ride a winner in China to add to my record.”
Ajtebi, who is attached to the all-powerful Godolphin stable, has ridden winners in 18 different countries worldwide, including at Royal Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup.
The feature race on the first programme is the Yuan 1.5million (Dh 886,755) Chengdu Dubai International Cup over 2200m, with the main support race being the Yuan 750,000 (Dh 443,377) Wenjiang Meydan Classic over 1600m.
Both races are presented by international watchmaker, Longines.
The other three race on the card, the Wenjiang Sprint (1200m), Guangsha Handicap (1400m) and Meydan Mile (1600m), all carry a purse of Yuan 500,000 (Dh295,585). All races are on turf.
Ajtebi will be joined by reigning UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, seven-time champion Ted Durcan, Richard Mullen and Royston Ffrench at the Jinma Racecourse in Wenjiang, a district in the Garden City of Chengdu.
The race meeting is being run under Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) rules of racing and will feature 48 horses who are trained in the UAE and have raced in the Emirates.
Trainers represented include four of the top five in this year’s championship — Musabah Al Muhairi, Ali Rashid Al Raihe, Satish Seemar and Doug Watson — and former champion Erwan Charpy.
Several of the jockeys and trainers taking part in Sunday’s event were introduced to local media at a special event held in the Intercontinental hotel in Chengdu on Friday morning.
Jockey Richard Mullen, who finished runner-up in the recently concluded championship, said: “I am very pleased to be here, and I hope we can show the people of Chengdu the excitement of horseracing, or the sport of kings, as it is known around the world.”
Speaking on behalf of the three UAE-born trainers, who will saddles horses at Chengdu, rookie handler Ahmad Bin Harmash said: “The track is beautiful; everything is fine for the horses, and we are looking forward to the racing on Sunday.”
Dubai Racing Club chief executive Frank Gabriel opened the media event by thanking the organisations involved, commenting: “Without their support, and that of our sponsorship partner Longines, this wonderful day of Thoroughbred racing in Chengdu would not be possible.”
The Chengdu Dubai International Cup is a collaborative effort of the Meydan Group and the Chengdu Municipal Government, Chengdu Sports Bureau, the Wenjiang District Government and China Gunagsha Group.
